Finding and Hiring a Staffing Firm

You’ve decided it’s time to hire a staffing firm, but where do you begin? There are dozens of staffing firms available, most specializing in a select few industries. Before hiring a staffing firm, interview your candidates to help you find the perfect fit.

Like hiring an employee for your company, hiring a staffing firm requires asking the right questions and getting enough answers to make an educated decision. Here are a few questions to ask before making the commitment.

Are you an expert in my industry?

This is important for obvious reasons. Many staffing firms are dedicated to a specific industry or a small handful. Examples may include firms who specialize in accounting, administrative, technology or human resources. Hiring a staffing firm that is dedicated to your industry — or the position(s) you have available will help ensure finding the right candidate in a short amount of time.

What is your employee culture like/turnover?

While this may not seem important at first, it is. A staffing firm with a high internal turnover rate means you risk not being able to make a long-term relationship with an account manager. This is also detrimental to potential candidates. One of the greatest things about a staffing firm is that you can work with a dedicated account manager who learns what you’re looking for as far as personality, skills, experience. A long-term relationship allows you (and the candidates) to become familiar with the account manager, allowing account managers to find the perfect fit based on a wide range of criteria.

How satisfied are your employees (the candidates for YOUR company)?

Again, while this may not seem important to your company, it is. A staffing firm with high marks from its talent pool means they are doing something right. Dissatisfied employees means that somewhere along the line, the staffing firm isn’t making the right connections between talent and the hiring companies.

Conclusion

Once you’ve received and reviewed the answers to your questions, you are able to make an educated hire and help ensure that you are making the best choice for your company. Knowing the values the staffing firm holds while also feeling confident about the potential for a rewarding, long-lasting relationship can ease the stress of filling those sometimes difficult positions.